Self-contained closure for writing instruments and the like

ABSTRACT

A pen, scribe or similar instrument fits into and projects out one end of a central axial aperture in a barrel. The barrel has a longitudinal groove in its surface and angularly displaced depressions in its outer surface at the end from which the pen projects. A cap assembly has an elongated shaft axially movable and oscillatable in the longitudinal groove and held in place by an upper and lower spring around the barrel. A helical spring biases the shaft toward retracted position with an end of the shaft projecting out the end of the barrel opposite the pen. The upper end of the shaft carries a fitting having a pocket clip and a pen cap. In retracted position, the clip and cap fit into their respective depressions. By depressing the shaft end against the force of the spring the clip and cap are raised and the spiral groove and upper spring cause them to pivot with the shaft until the cap is above the tip of the pen and the clip projecting outward of the barrel. The spring then partially projects the shaft end and the cap covers the pen tip. The closure is manually returned to original position. A modified construction is described.

This application is based on Disclosure Document 037348 filed aboutDecember 15, 1974.

This invention relates to a new and improved self-contained closure forwriting instruments such as ball and felt-tipped pens, pencils, scribes,punches and similar implements.

A principal object of the invention is to provide an instrument having acap covering the tip contained as an integral part of the instrument sothat it need not be attached and removed as are common pen caps and thusthe cap is not subject to loss. A feature of the construction is thefact that the cap may be moved from operative to storage position withthe same hand which holds the instrument.

Another feature of the invention is the fact that when the instrument isbeing used the cap is nested into the barrel of the instrument forstorage.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of a clip to attach tothe pocket of the wearer which is movable with the cap between storageand operative positions.

Still another feature of the invention is the provision of aconstruction having few parts and little complexity so as to facilitatemass production and assembly.

A still further feature of the invention is the fact that the clip andcap oscillate between storage and operative positions and, in apreferred embodiment of the invention, snap into position.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon readingthe following specification and referring to the accompanying drawingsin which similar characters of reference represent corresponding partsin each of the several views.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of one modification of the instrumentof the present invention showing the cap in retracted position.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view rotated from the position of FIG. 1and showing the cap in operative position in solid lines and in aposition preliminary to operative position in dot-and-dash lines.

FIG. 3 is an end elevational view of the structure of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an end elevational view of the structure of FIG. 2.

FIGS. 5-8, inclusive, are views similar to FIGS. 1-4, respectively, of amodification.

FIG. 9 is a section along the line 9--9, FIG. 3.

Directing attention first to the modification of FIGS. 1-4, a barrel 21preferably of round cross section is provided and is formed with acentral aperture 22 extending in from the top (lefthand as viewed inFIGS. 1 and 2) end. Fixed within aperture 22 is a pen 23, pencil,scribe, punch, etc., having its tip 24 projecting slightly out of theupper end of the barrel 21. The object of the present invention is toprovide a retractable cap for tip 24.

The upper end of barrel 21 is formed with a semi-conical end 26 andabout 180° of end 26 is cutaway as indicated by reference numeral 27. Asemi-cylindrical sleeve 28 surrounds the upper end of pen 23 and permitsprojection of tip 24 but retains the pen 23 in place.

A main groove 31 extends longitudinally of barrel 21 on the surfacethereof which is angularly midway of the cutaway portion 27 as is bestshown in FIG. 3. A restriction 32 is formed in main groove 31 aboutmidway of its length. A hole 33 is formed aligned with groove 31 at theend opposite cutaway portion 27. Clip depression 34 is formed in theoutside of barrel 21 extending from below cutaway portion 27 anddiametrically opposite depression 34 is cap depression 36 which is oflesser length than depression 34. Circumferential grooves 37 are formedin barrel 21 adjacent opposite ends thereof to receive top ring 38 andbottom ring 39 which are of a spring construction.

Positioned in main groove 31 is longitudinal shaft 41 having largediameter upper end 42, small diameter middle portion 43 and largediameter lower portion 44. Shoulder 46 is formed at the lower end ofsmall diameter portion 43 and a helical spring 47 surrounds smalldiameter portion 43 and bears at its left end against shoulder 46 and atits right end against restriction 32 and thus biases shaft 41 to theleft as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 2. As best shown in FIG. 1, a spiral rib48 is formed in large diameter portion 42 for a purpose which ishereinafter explained. The left end of shaft 41 projects as indicated byreference numeral 49.

On the right-hand end of shaft 41 is a fitting 51 which is arcuate asviewed in end elevation in FIGS. 3 and 4. Projecting downward fromdiametrically opposite ends of fitting 51 are a pocket clip 52 having aninward boss 53 which attaches the device to the pocket of the wearer anda hollow cap 54 which fits over tip 24.

In the operative position of the instrument shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, tip24 is unobstructed for writing or other use. Clip 52 is nested in recess34 and fits under top ring 38 while cap 54 nests in depression 36. Itwill be noted that the end 49 of shaft 41 projects out the left-hand endof the barrel 21 through hole 33. In this position neither the clip 52nor cap 54 interferes with the use of the instrument.

When it is desired to cover tip 24, the user depresses end 49 toward theright, as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 2, causing the spring 47 to becompressed and the fitting 51 to move from the solid line position ofFIG. 1 to the dot-and-dash position of FIG. 2. The rib 48 has a flatouter surface which engages ring 38, but because the clip 52 is undersaid ring, the ring 38 stretches (expands) until the clip 52 is to theright of spring 38 whereupon the contracting action of the ring 38 onthe rib 48 causes a rotation of shaft 41 and fitting 51 from theposition of FIG. 3 to the position of FIG. 4. When the end 49 isreleased, spring 47 retracts the fitting 51 from the dot-and-dash lineposition of FIG. 2 to the solid line position thereof, and thereupon thecap 54 fits down over the tip 24 and conceals the same.

When it is necessary to return the cap 54 to retracted position, theuser pushes the clip 52 to the right, as viewed in FIG. 2, todot-and-dash position and then inward-bearing thumb pressure turns itfrom the position of FIG. 4 back to the position of FIG. 3. The spring47 causes the shaft 41 and hence the clip 52 and cap 54 to return to theoriginal position with the clip in depression 34 and the cap indepression 36.

Directing attention now to the modification of FIGS. 5-8, many of theelements of the structure are the same as in the preceding modificationand the same, or substantially the same, elements are indicated by thesame reference numerals followed by the subscript a. In thismodification, the barrel 21a is surrounded by a sleeve 61 which isformed with a longitudinally extending elongated slot 62 about midway ofthe length of the instrument and a longitudinally extending notch 63extending down from the top end (right end as viewed in FIGS. 5 and 6).

Slideable within main groove 31a is stem 66 which is of a resilientplastic material having a normal S-curved shape shown in FIG. 6 butwhich may be straightened to the position shown in FIG. 5. The upperportion 67 is enlarged and straight while the curved portion 68 isnarrower and terminates in a shoulder 71 adjacent its lower end and hasa catch 69 which projects out through the slot 62 to be engaged by thefinger of the user. Spring 47a is interposed between shoulder 71 on stem66 and shoulder 72 in barrel 21a and hence biases stem 66 and fitting51a to the left, as viewed in FIGS. 5 and 6.

In the operative position of the device, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, clip52a is retracted within depression 34a and is inside of sleeve 61 whilethe cap 54a is within the depression 36a and inside sleeve 61. Theportion 68 of stem 66 is straight and the catch 69 is at the bottom endof slot 62. In this operative position, the tip 24a of the pen isexposed.

When the user wishes to cover the tip 24a, he pushes the catch 69 upward(to the right as viewed in FIGS. 5 and 6) against the force of spring47a. This movement continues until the fitting 51a assumes thedot-and-dash line position shown in FIG. 6 whereupon the clip 52a hasescaped from within sleeve 61 through notch 63. The natural S-shapedconfiguration of the curved portion 68 of stem 66 causes the fitting 51ato move laterally from the position of FIG. 7 to the position of FIG. 8and the cap 54a is aligned with but above the tip 24a. Release of thecatch 69 allows the spring 47a to move the fitting 51a from thedot-and-dash line position to the solid line position of FIG. 6 with thecap 54a covering the tip 24a and the clip 52a on the outside of sleeve61 so that it may be used to fit over the edge of the pocket of theuser.

When it is again necessary to place the instrument in operativeposition, the user pushes upward (to the right as viewed in FIG. 6) onclip 52a until the clip assumes the dot-and-dash line position of FIG. 6and then presses the clip and fitting 51a until the clip fits within thenotch 63. Thereupon, the spring 47a retracts the stem 66 and fitting 51ato original position.

What is claimed is:
 1. An instrument of the character describedcomprising a barrel, a point mounted in said barrel and projecting froma first end of said barrel, a cap shaped to fit over said point, an armattached to said cap, a shaft attached to said arm, said barrel formedwith a longitudinally extending opening to receive said shaft, meansmounting said shaft in said opening for longitudinal and alsooscillatory movement relative to said barrel between a first positionwith said cap angularly displaced relative to said point, a secondposition aligned with said point but displaced outwardly of said pointand a third position covering said point, and manually operable means tomove said shaft longitudinally outwardly relative to said first end ofsaid barrel.
 2. An instrument according to claim 1 which furthercomprises resilient means biasing said shaft for longitudinal movementinwardly relative to said barrel.
 3. An instrument according to claim 1in which said barrel is formed with a recess at said first end shaped toreceive said cap when in first position.
 4. An instrument according toclaim 1 which further comprises a pocket clip, said arm extending fromsaid shaft in a direction opposite said cap for attachment of said clip.5. An instrument according to claim 4 in which said barrel is formedwith a recess at said first end shaped to receive said clip when saidcap is in first position.
 6. An instrument according to claim 1 in whichsaid shaft and said barrel are formed with cooperating resilient meansbiasing said shaft to oscillate said cap from first to second position.7. An instrument according to claim 6 in which said barrel and saidshaft are provided with cooperating means to restrain movement of saidcap from first to second position until said shaft has been movedlongitudinally outward so that said cap is outward beyond said point. 8.An instrument according to claim 5 which further comprises means on theoutside of said barrel retaining said clip in said recess againstradially outward movement relative to said barrel.
 9. An instrumentaccording to claim 1 in which said manually operable means comprises anextension of said shaft outside said barrel opposite said first end. 10.An instrument according to claim 1 in which said shaft is resilient anis initially curved to bias said shaft toward lateral movement in onedirection.